Watch for Downtown El Paso street closings today

Streets marked in red indicate closures from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday. (Provided by City of El Paso)

Click photo to enlarge

Pedestrians and vehicles work their way around a construction zone in front of the El Paso County Courthouse Friday. The work is one of several lane closures taking place in the downtown area. Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times

The installation of a section of a new public safety communication system in the Wells Fargo Building will cause a number of temporary road closings this morning in Downtown El Paso.

Because the system requires backup power, a generator will be installed on the roof of the Wells Fargo Building on Kansas Street using a helicopter.

Several streets will close from 7 a.m. to noon. The streets are:

Kansas Street, from Franklin to Texas.

Stanton Street, from Main to Texas.

Campbell Street, from Main to Texas.

Main Street, from Stanton to Campbell.

Mills Avenue, from Mesa to Florence.

Texas Avenue, from Mesa to Florence.

Juli Lozano, a spokeswoman for the city of El Paso, said the operation was scheduled for Sunday morning to minimize disruptions.

REPORTER

Aileen B. Flores

A helicopter is expected to land at the parking lot across from the new City Hall on Campbell Street and then lift the generator to the roof of the Wells Fargo Building.

The lift operation requires the load to be slung beneath the aircraft, and the helicopter is prohibited from flying over occupied facilities. City officials said the top five floors of the Wells Fargo Building will also be evacuated.

Because of the airlift, Sun Metro will be required to detour bus Routes 4, 9, 33, 42, 59, 61 and 66 in the area.

The affected bus stops include Kansas at Mills and Main, Stanton at Main, and Texas at Florence.

Laura Cruz-Acosta, Sun Metro spokeswoman, said in a news release that Sun Metro will monitor the affected area and drivers will make courtesy stops along the detour route as required.

Advertisement

Some detours may end before noon, Cruz-Acosta said.

Ed Ozogar, the project manager for the city's Information Technology Services, said the generator is too heavy to be lifted by elevator to the top of the 22-story building.

Ozogar said the generator, described as a 130-kilowatt 480-volt three-phase natural gas generator, weighs more than 2,000 pounds.

"The best and the safest method we thought was to use a helicopter," he said.

Ozogar said the Wells Fargo Building is one of several sites in the area that are part of the project.

The new radio system will be use by the police and fire departments and by emergency services.